Recently, I decided to add “art” to my to-do list. Every. Day. I have never considered myself to be an artist, though I do consider myself to be creative. I think we all are creative in different ways–we think differently about how to solve a problem, or we have an unusual sense of humor–we see things in our own, unique way.

I added “art” to my list because I think it is valuable to allow myself to do something from a perspective I do not usually use. So, for example, I took this photo. I walked through my house trying to view things as if they were new to me. I looked at shapes, shadows, colors. I really liked the shadow this sculpture made. I took the photo and played with filters to bring out different colors, until it “felt” finished.

This was an intuitive exercise. I was paying attention to my body–my gut feeling. For me, I knew I was finished when I felt a “relief” take over, an easing of the muscles in my stomach.

I made this a daily task because it is very important to develop out intuition, to tap into subtle feelings we have. Why? Because our brains solve many emotional problems with the intuitive parts rather than the logical parts. When we are anxious, for example, the intuitive part has picked up on a “danger.” We may logically recognize the danger is not a real threat, but that does not convince the bodily feelings. Slow breathing, grounding exercises–reconnecting with our physical body in the here and now–helps to calm those feelings.

Our intuition is closely connected to the physical feelings we experience. It gives us more information about our world by picking up on what our logical minds cannot perceive.

Tuning into my intuitive, creative self helps me feel better and function better in my work. How has creativity and intuition been helpful for you?